CTA 2220: Film Genres: Classic/Modern Disney Animation

Transcription

1 CTA 2220: Film Genres: Classic/Modern Disney Animation Section 001/002 CRN: 21136/21137 Credits: 2 per section Instructor: Dr. Nathan Carroll Room: T4119 Class Meets: Thursday 2-3:40pm Phone: Required screening: Tuesday 2-3:40 pm (**Note that Fantasia (Sept 18) is 2 hours long) Office: T ncarroll@css.edu Office Hours: By appointment only (sign up on office door) *Note: This Syllabus includes information for both Classic and Modern Disney Animation Sections Required Texts: (note that Good Girls is used for both sections) Classical: The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation (Hardcover) by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston Good Girls & Wicked Witches: Women in Disney s Feature Animation by Amy Davis Modern: Good Girls & Wicked Witches: Women in Disney s Feature Animation by Amy Davis From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture (Bell, Haas, and Sells (eds.) Course Description: A genre is a category. To define a genre is to identify a constellation of elements that when brought together in a certain way create a unique entity. A genre is not just a checklist of individual features; it is a conglomeration of interdependent features, both situational and substantive, that make up an artifact s identity. These interdependent features are brought together by an organizing principle that defines a genre. This course examines the animation genre produced by Disney to identify that organizing principle. You will be watching films, reading texts, engaging in class discussions, and writing papers about animated films, often musicals, produced at the Walt Disney studio. We will look at the animated form, studio history, and cultural criticism regarding such issues as gender and race. Key overarching themes for both sections include Disney animation techniques as they are used to create mass-marketed messages about morality, especially as seen through gendered themes of adolescent boys (princes) and girls (princesses). Children without parents, the recurrent use of animals in place of humans, villainization, lifestyle branding, Walt Disney s biography, corporate labor disputes, and cultural hegemony are just a few of the other topics broached in these two courses. Classic Disney Animation meets during the first half of fall semester. This course will focus on the Walt Disney years from 1937 s Snow White, Disney s first feature length animated film up to 1967 s The Jungle Book --the last animated feature film Walt Disney worked on before his death. Modern Disney Animation meets during the second half of fall semester. This half-semester course considers the changes in the Disney animated film from the 1990s to present during the Eisner years and the partnership with Pixar. We begin with The Little Mermaid (1989) and end with Finding Nemo (2003). The 1970s and 1980s will be discussed, but we will not be screening films from this era. Those years were difficult transitional years at Disney and produced few acknowledged masterpieces. In contrast, The Little Mermaid marked the revitalization of modern Disney animation through the mid-1990s. Unable to repeat this critical success in the post-mulan era with a series of weak scripts and poor sequels, Disney once again lost artistic credibility until their recent partnership with Pixar. This new shift toward digital animation signals the completion of classic animation goals began at Disney during its earliest days, which aimed at blending immersive dimensionality with emotionally conservative stories. 1

2 Course Outcomes: (1) By the end of the class, students should be able to identify the organizing principle of the genre under examination. (2) Students should be familiar with the significant films of the genre from the historical era studied. (3) Students should be conversant about the evolution of the genre within the context studied. (4) Students should understand the artistic elements of the genre. Assignments & Grades: Points: Attendance & Participation 15% /100 x.15 = Disney Paper (Classic/Modern) 45% /100 x.45 = + Final Exam 40% /100 x.4 = + Total 100% = /100 Grading: The following definitions are used in assigning grades for coursework. A = Excellent % B = Very good 80 89% C = Satisfactory 70 79% D = Passing 60 69% F = Unsatisfactory Below 59% ***Participation & Attendance: Class: This class has 40 students, which means that although I expect regular class participation, you will not receive a separate grade for participation. Little to no participation or disruptive behavior including disrespectful talking during lectures or screenings will hurt this portion of your grade and regular participation will help it. --Let your voice be heard. Prompt and regular attendance is expected. Class begins ON TIME so you should be in class a few minutes early. Attendance is taken regularly with a sign-in sheet on the desk in front of the room. If you are late (once I start talking you are considered late), then you cannot sign in until the end of class. If late, you must see me after class to be counted tardy or you will be counted absent. Signing the attendance sheet (whether before or after class) is YOUR responsibility. If your signature is not on an attendance sheet by the end of class you will not be counted present. Since we only meet one day per week for class beyond the screening, absences will hurt your grade. You should get notes from a trusted friend for any days missed. While class may let out early occasionally, plan on being in class the whole time (2-3:40pm). Screenings: Attendance is expected for all screenings, but attendance will not be taken. Films will not be placed on reserve. Any missed screenings must be made up on your time and dime. Although you probably have already seen many of the films screened in this course, it is expected that you watch each film during its appropriate week to get the most out of this course. Film details are easily forgotten and a film course means very little if you do not watch the films on schedule along with the readings. ***Policies: Late papers will not be accepted. If you are gone, you should it on time. Cell phones should be turned off prior to entering the classroom. Students should not arrive late or leave early for film screenings. Students should not talk while films are being screened. Any missed screenings must be made up on your own. 2

3 Assignment Descriptions: ***Note: Since there are 40 students you will have fewer assignments and grades. Be aware this makes the grades you do receive worth more than usual. This means you should thoroughly edit your papers and seek out help from the writing center ahead of time if needed. You will not be allowed to re-submit papers. Start your work early. ***IMPORTANT: All classic and modern Disney papers must be ed to me AND turned in during class as stapled hard copies. Given the large class size, accessibility of the topic (Disney films), and the fact that I am the sole grader, electronic copies will be submitted to turnitin.com through CSS s account to check for possible plagiarism. They accomplish this by identifying text matches from existing databases. This does not judge whether plagiarism has actually occurred; that decision is made by me. So make sure all your sources including films are fully cited (please use MLA Style: see the CSS library website link for how to do this) and be certain that all other work not cited is indeed your own. Plagiarized papers will receive 0s and are subject to further consequences from CSS. Comments will be given on hard copies and returned to you. If you have questions about this policy, then I encourage you to sign up and meet with me during office hours to discuss it further. The Classic Disney Paper (Paper 1): 4 pages (Section 001) Select a film that is considered to be a classic Disney film with at least some animated element (see the attached list of suggestions). Explain in detail what elements of both form and content make it a Disney classic. Consider arguments made in class readings and discussions in relation to the stylistic elements of your chosen film. What style of animation technique is used and how does it affect the story? Be specific and thorough with your examples and analyses. This paper may include films screened in class. The Modern Disney Paper (Evolution of the Genre): 4 pages (Section 002) Choosing among Disney films not screened in class with at least some animated element. You will examine how it is similar to classical Disney films in terms of content and style of animation and on the other hand, what makes it modern and different (see the attached list of suggestions). How does the modern situation to which the film is responding (the cultural situation in which the film is produced with contemporary concerns) influence the message and animated style of the film? What makes it count as Disney animation? Final Exams: Genre Description: (Both Sections) The genre description exams will both occur in class (blue book). You will answer 2 out of 3 given questions during the class period about the films screened in relation to course readings and class discussions. The analysis will require discussions about issues that are substantive (what is the movie about, who are the characters), stylistic (how is the film animated, what cinematic decisions have been made), cultural (what are the messages (both overt and subtext) of the films, and aesthetic (how do these films fit into the Disney canon). Academic Honesty: Academic honesty directly concerns ethical behaviors which affect both the academic environment and the civic community. All work is assumed to be original work produced only by the student submitting the work for a grade. Excessive help, plagiarism, failure to cite references and sources, falsification of data, or other misrepresentations of work submitted for a grade will be considered dishonest and will result in a failing grade for the assignment or course. In addition, a department may deny admission to or dismiss from a program a student who has engaged in academic dishonesty, and the dean of faculty or the dean of students may exclude such a student from extracurricular activities or expel him or her from the College, even on the first instance of academic dishonesty. Any student who has questions about what constitutes academic honesty should discuss those issues with the instructor. 3

4 Disabilities: Students with disabilities, physical or learning, are entitled to appropriate accommodation. It is the student s responsibility to notify the Access Center (Heather Angelle) T 2144, ext. 6645, in a timely way to approve and provide the accommodation. *Make sure to print any articles ed to you and bring them to class. College Outcome Ways of Knowing (copy taken from the College catalogue) As an institution of higher learning the College has the responsibility to help students recognize and value different ways of knowing, ranging from aesthetic to analytical. The student should not only receive knowledge (propositional and procedural) but also learn to evaluate, integrate and construct knowledge. A liberal arts education provides students with the ability to reason in a diverse world. Selected Ways of Knowing Outcomes The student shall: 1. Articulate a critical response to creative works 2. Use qualitative and quantitative data in a systematic approach to arrive at reasoned conclusions 3. Move from intuition into insight through investigation and critical reflection 4. Reflect on and challenge perceptions, actions and values based on new information How this Course Connects to the Ways of Knowing Outcome It is easy to underestimate a film. Most people are so accustomed to viewing cinematic works that they overlook the finer points of the art form. An uncritical response to a film usually focuses on whether or not the viewer enjoyed the film or found it entertaining. The film genre courses will press student to examine not only the story, but also the elements that compose the story, the parts that make it what it is. What exactly does a film need to have to be considered a western or a screwball comedy or a neo noir? What can it omit and still fit in the genre? Students will be asked to critically examine a film s content as well as its style, and to take an objective view of a film in terms of its category and place within that category. These determinations can only be made through analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. A multitude of films must be examined to craft a genre definition. Once viewed, all of the films in the database must be analyzed for content and stylistic elements. Although gut instinct may lead a student to examine a film initially, only the analysis of the data can truly define the boundaries of a genre. In these ways, the Film Genres courses which strive to place films within a larger context of their construction fulfills the Ways of Knowing outcome. 4

5 Course Schedule: Classic Disney Animation (Section 001) Week 1 T Sept 4: Screening: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937, 1h 23m) Read FOR R Sept 6: GGWW, Chapter 3: The Early Life of Walt Disney and the Beginnings of the Disney Studio, (pp ); Illusion, Chapter 2: The Early Days (pp ) and Chapter 4: Discovery, (pp ) Week 2 T Sept 11: Screening: Pinocchio (1940, 1h 28m) Read FOR R Sept 13: GGWW, Chapter 2: A Brief History of Animation (pp ); Illusion, Chapter 1: An Art Form is Born (pp ), Chapter 3: The Principles of Animation (pp ), and Chapter 14: Story (pp ) Week 3 T Sept 18: Screening: Fantasia (1940) (2h) Read FOR R Sept 20: Illusion, Chapter 5: Cartoon Comes of Age (pp ) and Chapter 9: Our Procedures (pp ) Week 4 T Sept 25: Screening: Bambi (1942) (1h 10m) Read FOR R Sept 27: Illusion, pg. 128 Fred s Fourteen Points of Animation and pg. 137 Bill Tytla s List, Chapter 8: Burbank and the Nine Old Men (pp ), and Chapter 10: How to Get It On Screen (pp ); Bambi by David Payne (on.pdf) Week 5 T Oct 2: Screening: Cinderella (1950) (1h 14m) **Classic Disney Paper Due AT screening (before the film begins) Read FOR R Oct 4: GGWW, Chapter 4: Disney Films : The Classic Years (pp ); Illusion, Chapter 11: The Disney Sounds (pp ) Week 6 T Oct 9: Screening: Peter Pan (1953) (1h 17m) Read FOR R Oct 11: Illusion, Chapter 12: The Follow-up Functions (pp ), Chapter 16: Animating Expressions and Dialogue (pp ), and Chapter 17: Acting and Emotions (pp ) 5

6 Week 7 T Oct 16: Screening: Sleeping Beauty (1959) (1h 15m) R Oct 18: Read for Thursday: Illusion, Chapter 13: The Uses of Live Action in Drawing Humans and Animals (pp ), Chapter 15: Character Development (pp only) Course Evaluations Week 8 T Oct 23: Screening: The Jungle Book (1967) (1h 18m) R Oct 25: Final Exam (in class) *Students in Modern Disney Animation (Section 002) Read for Thursday: From Mouse to Mermaid The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson (.pdf) Modern Disney Animation (Section 002) You should read GGWW Chapter 4: Disney Films : The Classic Years (pp ) and Chapter 5: Disney Films : The Middle Years (pp ) by NOVEMBER 20. Week 9 T Oct 30: Screening: The Little Mermaid (1989) (1h 23m) Read FOR R Nov 1: Guest Lecture: Nichole Sterling MtoM, Where Do the Mermaids Stand? Voice and Body in The Little Mermaid ( ) and The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson (.pdf) Week 10 T Nov 6: Screening: Beauty and the Beast (1991) (1h 31m) Read FOR R Nov 8: GGWW, Chapter 1: Film as a Cultural Mirror (pp ) and MtoM, The Curse of Masculinity: Disney s Beauty and the Beast (pp ) Week 11 T Nov 13: Screening: Aladdin (1992) (1h 30m) Read FOR R Nov 15: MtoM, Breaking the Disney Spell (pp ) and (.pdf) The Princess and the Magic Kingdom: Beyond Nostalgia, the Function of the Disney Princess Week 12 T Nov 20: Screening: The Lion King (1994) (1h 29m) 6

7 R Nov 22: No Class (Thanksgiving Break Nov 21-25) Week 13 T Nov 27: Screening: Mulan (1998) (1h 28m) Read FOR R Nov 29: MtoM, The Whole Wide World was Scrubbed Clean: The Androcentric Animation of Denatured Disney (pp ); (.pdf) The Righteousness of Self-Centered Royals: The World According to Disney Animation and (.pdf) Images of Animated Others: The Orientalization of Disney s Cartoon Heroines from The Little Mermaid to The Hunchback of Notre Dame Week 14 T Dec 4: Screening: Tarzan (1999) (1h 28m) **Modern Disney Paper Due AT Screening (before the film begins) Read FOR R Dec 6: GGWW, Chapter 6: Disney Films : The Eisner Era (pp ) Course evaluations Week 15 T Dec 11: Screening: Finding Nemo (2003) (1h 40m) Read FOR R Dec 13: GGWW, Conclusion (pp ); MtoM, Pachuco Mickey (pp ) **In Class Final Exam During Exam Week 16 (Day/Time TBD) 7